This invention relates generally to combustion engines and, more particularly, to electronic control units for such engines.
Known combustion engines for use with watercraft include an air-cooled electronic control units (ECU) for controlling at least some operations of the engine. With increased processing demand and an increase in the number of ECU electronic components, a need has developed for improved cooling as compared to the cooling provided by the known air cooling configurations. In addition, with known ECU configurations, testing of the ignition coils has been limited to transmitting commands to cause such coils to fire without verification as to whether the coils actually did fire.
It would be desirable to increase the amount of circuitry in the ECU to include heat-generating circuitry without the generated heat causing the ECU to malfunction. It would also be useful to allow the ECU to check the ignition coils and determine whether or not they are operational.
One embodiment provides a water cooled ECU in order to allow more electrical components to be present in the ECU. The ECU also is able to not only cause the ignition coils to fire, but also to verify whether such coils did, in fact, fire.
A water-cooled configuration for the ECU provides enhanced cooling as compared to known air-cooled configurations. The water-cooled ECU is configured to contain portions of the ignition circuit, which has previously been outside the ECU.